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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Doll Mattress Tutorial/Newborn Photography Prop

Bob and I went to this huge garage sale a little while ago. I am talking the size of an elementary school people rush the gate huge.We found a few great things but my favorite was this doll bed for $4. It was solid wood and perfect for a newborn photography prop. All it needed was a little fixing up. In case you haven't seen them photo props like this sell for around $60 so I was pretty happy to find my own. I did add on a new mattress.

Bob thinks this first picture makes Scarlett look like a giant. Like she is on Gullivers travels or something. Below is what the bed originally looked like.

I didn't really like the pink and purple. I wanted something a little more neutral. I used spray paint I already had, sanded, and redid the entire thing white. Quick and easy.

Now the bed is very cute, but it is a doll bed. The purple material is over a piece of wood. It is very hard and not ideal for a newborn. So I decided to just go ahead and make my own doll bed mattress and sheet to set right on top.

Materials needed:

1" foam

1 pillowcase

1 sewing machine and thread

1) Step one is to measure the bed and cut the foam. Mine was 1' x 2'.

2) Next stick the foam right inside the pillowcase and mark one inch around the long side and two inches along the end. Cut the pillow case leaving both one side and the end of the pillowcase together.

3) Pin the long side and sew it.

4) Fold the ends under 2 times, pin it, and sew it. Now you slide the foam in. You are done. And you can take the pillowcase on and off for washing and switching colors.

I spent a total of $15! Now all I need is a newborn to take pictures of. Unfortunately it seems like everyone I know just had a baby and no one is pregnant right now. For now I Penelope and Scarlett can put their dolls on it.

We have a medium firmness foam mattress from Ikea. They're fairly cheap and suuuper comfy. Also it's a pretty firm mattress so it will give you the support you need. It has no springs so there are no "pressure points" but it also makes it kinda hard to move; definitely a 2 person job. Tempurpedic Mattress